Manufacture of shoes



March 27, 1934. w E, MCKENNA 1,952,329

MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed June 6, 1932 lNVENTOR ATTORNEYS Qfw MAM/Mw,

Patented Mar. 27, 1934 PATENT GFFICE MANUFACTURE F SHOES William Emmett McKenna, Lynn, Mass., assgnor to Compo Shoe Machinery Corporation, York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 6, v1932-, Serial No. 615,636

9 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes, and more particularly to a type of shoe in which the uppers are provided with welts against which the outer soles are permanently fastened by adhesive cement.

General objects of the invention are the provision of a method of and means for securing a firm, uniform and intimate adhesive union between the welt and the outer s ole of a weltequipped cemented shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of welt for` use in cemented shoe manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for reducing excessive rolling or curling of the outer sole of a cemented shoe, particularly of the welt type during the sole aixing operation.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and the apparatus embodying features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which are adapted to effect such steps, all as'exemplied in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective viewshowing a welt equipped shoe upper, to which an outer sole has been 'cemented in accordance with the present invention, a pressure strip provided in accordance with such invention being shown in the process of removal;

Fig. 2 `is a transverse vertical sectional view taken across the forepart of a shoe manufactured in accordance with this invention While the I latter is under pressure in a sole alxing press,

and showing the pressure strip of such invention in place in the welt groove;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view across the forepart of a shoe similar to that shown in Fig. 2 but showing the right hand welt groove thereof without a pressure strip;

Fig. 4 is a, perspective view of an improved welt provided with a pressure strip of the kind shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view New across the forepart of a shoe showing its welt equipped with another form of pressure strip;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a welt equipped shoe with a pressure strip of the form shown in Fig. 5; and 60 Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view across the forepart of a shoe showing a pressure strip directly interposed between the outer sole and upper.

The present invention contemplates the manufacture of shoes in which a lasted upper is provided with a welt to which the outer sole is permanently fastened by means of adhesive cement, rather than by marginal stitching employed in stitched welt shoes. The formation of such a shoe, particularly on a conveyor type of multiplepress sole afixing machine, presents serious diiculty in obtaining a rm and intimate adhesive union between the outer marginal portions of the welt and the outer sole` because heretofore there has been no suitable practical way of effectively pressing these portions against each other during the cementing operation. Among other things, this diliculty is overcome by the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing and especially to Fig. 2, there is shown a lasted shoe comprising an upper 10, pulled over a last 11, and having its lasting allowance 12 suitably fastened to an inner sole 13. The lasted upper may be made in any suitable way, preferably by lasting with adhesive cement. The lasting allowance 12, before it is fastened to the inner sole 13, has attached to it by suitable means such as stitching 14, a welt 15 rin the form of a strip or band of leather.

This welt, a portion of which is most clearly shown in Fig. 4, is provided with a pressure or ller strip 16 removably fastened along the outer margin of its upper surface. When the welt is assembled with the upper, as in Fig. 2, this pressure strip is adapted to occupy the space in the welt groove between the outermost marginal portion of welt 15 and the overhanging portion of upper 10 located just above the welt. 'I'his pressure strip, in the form shown in Figs. 2 and 4, is generally wedge-shape in cross section, being thickest at its outer edge 17 and tapering inwardly as shown. Preferably it is not completely feathered but has its inner edge skived at an abrupt angle to form an inner face 18 which is adapted to extend into the welt groove as shown in Fig. 2. This pressure strip is made of leather or some other similar suitable flexible material and is. removably fastened in place along the filler material 20 centrally located on the underside of its fore part in the customary manner, is ready for adhesive application of an outer sole 21. To this end permanent adhesive 22, such as pyroxylin cement, is applied between the under or iiesh surface of the Welt and the upper flesh surface of the outer sole which, it will be understood, has been suitably shaped, roughed and otherwise prepared for adhesive attachment to the upper. The adhesive 22 may be applied to either the welt or the outer sole, or to both, just prior to the axing operation, but preferably it is previously applied and allowed to harden on both of these elements, and is rendered adhesive just before the sole afxing operation by application of a suitable cement softener. With the parts thus rendered adhesive, the outersole 21 is 1ocated against the lasted upper and this assembly is clamped in a suitable shoe press 23 as, for example, one having an inflatable pad 24. The upper diaphragm of this pad is adapted to press upwardly against the outer sole 21 to force it against Ythe lasted upper, which latter is maintained against upward displacement by suitable means, for example, instep pad 25 and a last jack pin (not shown), as will be understood readily by those skilled in the art. The parts are thus held under pressure until the adhesive 22 has set, whereby a permanent union is effected between the outer sole and the welted upper.

When an ordinary welt, not equipped with a pressure strip, is employed, this operation of pressing the outer sole against the welt equipped upper does not succeed in securing a proper adhesive union between the outer margin of the welt strip and the outer margin of the outer sole. This condition is indicated, in a somewhat exaggerated manner, at the Welt groove illustrated at the right in Fig. 3. Here the diaphragm 24 presses upwardly against the welt 15', but, since the upper 10 is spaced from the outer margin of the welt in the welt groove area, there is no way of providing for a reacting downward pressure against the upper surface of the outer margin of welt 15', and consequently no adhesive union, or at best a comparatively weak union, is formed at the portion indicated by reference numeral 26. Weakness in the cemented bond at this point is obviously undesirable, in that the outer sole and welt will begin to work loose during use of the shoe unless the welt and outer sole are firmly and securely fastened to each other. Also, the operation of pressing the outer sole against an unbraced welt such as 15 is apt to cause excessive and troublesome rolling and curling of the sole margins.

The provision of pressure strip 16 eliminates these diiiculties by filling the space in the welt groove between the upper 10 and the upper surface of the welt, so that upward pressure applied bydiaphragm 24 is suitably opposed, whereby an even and direct reacting pressure is applied to the upper side of the welt at its outer margins. Ihis taking up of space in the welt groove by the pressurel strip 16 also acts to prevent excessive rolling and curling of the sole edges, and in this antirolling aspect the present invention is useful in connection with other forms of cemented shoes whether or not they are equipped with welts.

For example, in Fig. '7 there is shown a weltless shoe having a pressure strip 216 directly inserted between the outer sole 221 and the upper 210. If desired, this pressure strip can be temporarily attached to the upper edge of the outer sole so that it lies in the groove directly between the lasted upper and the upper side of the outer sole and prevents excessive rolling of the edges of the latter during the sole affixing operation.

After the shoe has thus been cemented under pressure, and the cement has been allowed to set, the pressure strip 16 is removed from the welt groove, This removal is easily eiected by grasping one end of the strip and simply pulling it away from the shoe as indicated in Fig. 1. The fact that the pressure strip 16 is abruptly skived as at 18 instead of being continued to a complete feathered edge aids in the transmission of considerable pressure from thev upper 10 directly againstthe outer marginal portion of the welt, and also facilitates removal of the pressure strip inasmuch as there is no thin tapered edge to be caught between the upper and the welt during the pressing operation. Rubber cement or other non-permanent adhesive is preferably used temporarily to attach the strip 16 to the welt readily and permits such pulling away of the strip. After the pressure strip thus has been removed, the edge of the outer sole and welt may then be subjected to the usual nishing operations such as trimming, setting and burnishng.

In Figs. 5 and 6, a somewhat different form of pressure strip is shown, where the welt 115 on the lasted upper 110 is provided with the rubber pressure strip 116 having a relatively thickened outer rib portion 117, and having its inner portion tapered at 116 and terminating in an abruptly skived inner wall 118. As will be readily understood many other forms and materials may be used for this purpose with improved and highly desirable results.

By utilizing a welt which is provided with a pressure strip in accordance with the present invention, and by manufacturing cemented shoes in accordance with the herein described steps, it is possible to manufacture cemented shoes having the advantages of a Welt construction, and with existing apparatus in factories equipped for manufacture of welt type shoes. At the same time, the adhesive bond formed between the welt and outer sole is irm and intimate throughout its entire extent and use of the described removable pressure strip counteracts any tendency toward excessive rolling of the sole edges during the pressing operation on the outer sole.

It will thus be seen that the described method and apparatus is admirably suited to fulfil its intended functions and since certain changes in carrying out the above process and in the constructions set forth, which embody the invention may be made without departing from its scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specic features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A method of making welt equipped shoes, 15

which comprises, temporarily attaching a pressure strip along the upper face of the outer margin of a welt, thereafter attaching said welt to the lasting allowance of an upper and lasting said upper with said pressure strip occupying its welt groove space, cementing an outer sole against the under face of said welt under pressure, and thereafter stripping said pressure strip from the welt groove space.

2. A method of manufacturing a cemented shoe comprising preparing a lasted upper and an outer sole with contiguous faces coated with a permanent adhesive, attaching a pressure strip temporarily to one thereof so that during the sole aii'xing operation said pressure strip will lie within the groove between the upper and the adjacent face of the edge of the outer sole, then pressing the outer sole against the lasted upper, maintaining it under pressure until the cement has set, and then removing the aforesaid pressure strip.

3. A method of manufacturing a cemented shoe comprising preparing a lasted upper and an outer sole with contiguous faces coated with a permanent adhesive, attaching a pressure strip temporarily to the edge of the upper face of the outer sole so that during the sole aixing operation said pressure strip will lie within the groove between the upper and the edge of the outer sole, then pressing the outer sole against the lasted upper, maintaining it under pressure in this position until the cement has set, and then removing the aforesaid pressure strip.

4. A welt for use in making welt-type cemented shoes comprising a band of welt material, and

a pressure strip temporarily attached along the outer margin of the upper face of said band.

5. A welt for use in making welt-type cemented shoes comprising a band of welt material, and a pressure strip temporarily removably attached along the outer margin of the upper face of said band by means of a non-permanent adhesive.

6. A welt for use in making welt equipped cemented shoes comprising a band of welt material, and a pressure strip of generally wedgeshaped crossv section temporarily attached along the outer margin of the upper face of said band.

'7. A pressure strip for insertion between the upper and the edge of the outer sole to prevent edge rolling of the sole of a cemented shoe dur. ing the sole afxing operation, which comprises a flexible strip of generally wedge-shaped cross section and which has a blunt edge at the apex of the wedge.

8. A welt for use in making welt equipped cemented shoes comprising a band of welt material, and a pressure strip of general wedge-shaped cross section having a blunt edge at the apex of the wedge removably attached along the upper face of said band by means of non-permanent adhesive.

9. A welt for use in making Welt equipped cemented shoes comprising a band of welt material, and a rubber pressure strip having its outer margin in the form of a relatively thickened rib and having a ltapered inner margin, said strip being temporarily attached along the outer margin of the upper face of said band with said ribvv projecting upwardly therefrom.

WILLIAM EMMETT MCKENNA. 

